Review: Eiji Yoshiwara's _Taiko:_ a broad tale of epic lives in Feudal Japan

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Mention a historically themed book to me, and it can catch my attention right away. Stir in plenty of actual history, and I'm hooked. Ever since wading through Clavell's _Shogun,_ I've been interested in Japan, and discovering a new author was a delight. Best known for his novel, _Musashi,_ I recently found another novel by Eiji Yoshikawa -- _Taiko._ Late sixteenth century Japan is at war with itself. Warlords large and small are fighting with each other, all angling for more power and land. The Emperor is a mere figurehead, and the Ashigawa Shogun (a supreme warlord) has dwindled into a non-entity. For those who are not part of the warrior -- samurai -- class, life is pretty miserable and not very long. In a little village, Hiyoshi is the son of a now-crippled footsoldier. Unable to make a living for his family, his father has sunk into drink, and Hiyoshi runs wild. He does nothing, has learnt nothing, and doesn't have much of a future. Unfortunately, Hiyoshi isn't handsome, or particularly skilled at anything, but what he does have going for him is that he is clever, and knows when to leap at an opportunity. Monkey, as Hiyoshi is nicknamed for his features, tries several career paths, from temple priest, to a merchant household, and each time fails miserably. Finally, he flees from his family, knowing he is a failure, and he is determined to find -something- that will make him a success. But when he meets the powerful leader of the Oda clan, something happens. Lord Nobunaga has a good portion of the country under his control, and has an eye for talent -- and almost as a joke, he picks Hiyoshi to be his sandal-bearer, a sort of glorified servant. And here, Hiyoshi starts to find his way, and that way includes a road to unbelievable power... Well, I was struck by this novel. I had not read a lot of books by Japanese authors, beyond _The Pillow Book_ and _The Tale of Genji._ Most of the time I find books in translation to be lacking, but this time I was not disappointed at all. Coming in at a whopping thousand pages, the story of the rise of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's rise to ultimate power in Japan, and how he did it was a real page turner for me. The story moved quickly, and while there was the odd modern idiom or two that slipped in, it had the right feel to it. There were some 'As you know, Bob' sections, but if the author had tried to weave in the extra bits, I suspect that the story would have been much longer. What really sealed the story for me, besides finally being able to understand the tangled history of Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, is that the story felt right. All too often, when a modern author tries to write historical fiction, it gets mangled and ends up being a story with modern attitudes slapped over the top. This didn't happen here, and I felt like was watching the story unfold around me, and I was back in medieval Japan, where life could -- and did -- change in an instant. While the thought of taking on so many Japanese names may be confusing, there is a list of characters in each section, and I didn't find it at all difficult to keep everyone straight. Yes, Hiyoshi/Hideyoshi does change his name several times, but it's workable. Not many will try this one on, but those who persevere will be rewarded. I fully intend to find my copy of Musashi, and give it another read. This one gets four and a half stars from me, rounded up to five, and heartily recommended. Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan Eiji Yoshikawa 1969; Kodansha USA ISBN 978-4-7700-2609-5